David Sedaris on How to Eat a Tire in a Year

Plus: being more productive; the quest for a better power grid; and what happened to the Neanderthals? View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, January 26, 2024 In today’s newsletter, lots of small bites, and then: • How to have a more productive year • The quest for a better power grid • What happened to the Neanderthals? How to Eat a Tire in a Year Years of walking and talking with an old friend. Illustration by Mikel Jaso How many steps can you walk a day before your toenails start coming off? How would you go about eating an entire car tire in twelve months? How long do you need to know someone before they become an irreplaceable part of your life? These are seemingly odd, unrelated questions, but they come together in the latest essay by David Sedaris, in which he writes about Dawn, an old friend and frequent companion on the road. “Though currently on loan to her husband and stepchildren in the city of Red Wing, Minnesota, Dawn is mine, and although we’ve never discussed it, I’m pretty sure I’m hers as well,” Sedaris observes. “I know because I can feel it.” Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » Editor’s Picks Office Space How to Have a More Productive Year Knowledge work is always changing, and our approach to it needs to change, too. By Cal Newport Dept. of Energy The Holdouts in the Quest for a Better Power Grid Farmers in Missouri are opposing the Grain Belt Express, a transmission line that will connect wind farms in Kansas with cities in the East. By Michael Holtz In the News Photograph by Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle / Getty The Biden Administration announced today that it was pausing approval on several proposed liquefied-natural-gas export projects until it completes a federal review of the nation’s L.N.G. policy. In September, Bill McKibben reported on how a large L.N.G. buildout in the U.S. threatened to challenge progress on climate change, and was polluting the Gulf South, turning the area into a “sacrifice zone.” Read more » Culture Dept. The Front Row “Subtraction”: A Masterwork of Realistic Fantasy The Iranian director Mani Haghighi scrutinizes daily life in Tehran by way of supernatural events and inspired images. By Richard Brody Visiting Dignitary Tony Hawk, Amateur Skater The skate icon hits a half-pipe in Riverside Park and considers his last-ever video part. By Bret Anthony Johnston Sale in The New Yorker Store! For a limited time only, nearly all items are 20% off, including sweatshirts, coffee mugs, playing cards, and more. Browse the sale » Dept. of Diversions Annals of Evolution Sleeping with the Enemy What happened between the Neanderthals and us? Sex, for starters. By Elizabeth Kolbert Fun & Games Dept. Crossword A Themed Puzzle Two wrongs. By Olivia Mitra Framke Shouts & Murmurs Fruit-Peel Theories to Determine the Strength of Your Relationship Blueberry-Peel Theory: No one has ever done this. Your “partner” is a figment of your imagination. By Anna Pook Daily Cartoon Friday, January 26th By Lynn Hsu Name Drop: Can you guess the identity of a notable person—contemporary or historical—in six clues? Play a quiz from our archive » P.S. “Like a row of champagne glasses slowly loaded with bricks, it can hold a surprising amount of weight until, with the slightest shove, the structure falls apart, creating a slab avalanche.” Read James Somers on the snow science behind avalanches, and the research being done to keep people safe. Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for the daily newsletter from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.